Germany's First Tranche 4 Eurofighter Makes Maiden Flight Under Project Quadriga

The first of 38 Tranche 4 Eurofighters ordered by Berlin under Project Quadriga flew for the first time at Airbus' Manching plant on July 14, with delivery to the Luftwaffe expected later this year and the full batch due by 2030.

The first Tranche 4 Eurofighter built for the German Air Force made its maiden flight at Airbus' Military Aircraft Centre in Manching, Bavaria, on July 14, the company announced two days later. The aircraft, a two-seater carrying the registration 34+02, is the first of 38 fighters ordered by Berlin in November 2020 under Project Quadriga.

The sortie, part of the Production Flight Acceptance Test process, lasted just over an hour. An Airbus test pilot evaluated the fighter's basic handling, engine performance, flight control system, hydraulics and electrical systems. Airbus said the jet remains on track for delivery to the Luftwaffe later this year, with the full Quadriga batch — 30 single-seaters and eight two-seat aircraft — due to be handed over by 2030.

The Tranche 4 standard introduces the most significant sensor upgrade in the type's history: the European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk 1, an active electronically scanned array radar developed by the Hensoldt-led consortium. The new radar substantially improves detection range, simultaneous multi-target tracking and resistance to electronic warfare compared with the mechanically scanned Captor-M carried by earlier German Eurofighters. The Quadriga jets are intended to replace the Luftwaffe's oldest Tranche 1 aircraft, which lack the growth capacity for modern upgrades and are being progressively retired.

The Eurofighter is the backbone of German air power. GlobalMilitary.net inventory data credits the German Air Force with 138 active Eurofighters and 58 more on order — a backlog that includes the Quadriga batch as well as the follow-on Tranche 5 aircraft Berlin committed to in 2025 to sustain the Manching production line into the 2030s. Germany also plans to complement the fleet with F-35A Lightning IIs for the nuclear-sharing role, while the Eurofighter carries the burden of quick reaction alert and conventional strike tasks.

Flight testing of 34+02 will continue at Manching ahead of formal acceptance by the Bundeswehr's procurement agency. Airbus is meanwhile ramping up Tranche 4 production for export customers, with Spain's similar Halcón batch following behind the German aircraft on the assembly line.